Government Gangsters: Unincorporated More for Memphis called out for Plagiarism by Commissioner Henri Brooks as Jamilica Burke, Essentially Admits to Fraudulent Misrepresentation When Questioned by Commissioner Brittany Thornton
By: Public Affairs Staff, December 16, 2024
The December 9th Shelby County Commission meeting revealed glaring contradictions, evasive answers, and outright admissions that strike at the credibility of the “More for Memphis” initiative. Jamilica Burke, President of Seeding Success and the figurehead of More for Memphis was grilled by Commissioners Brittany Thornton and Henri Brooks, while the rest of the County Commissioners willfully ignored blatant falsehoods about securing $100 million in private philanthropic funding, effectively turning a blind eye to the deception and other critical issues. Her responses, riddled with vagueness and contradictions, only deepened concerns about fraudulent misrepresentation and potential violations of public trust.
Fraudulent Misrepresentation: $100 Million “Secured” but Not Banked
The ordinance sponsored by Commissioners Whaley and Sugarmon presented to the public and endorsed by the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments explicitly claimed $100 million in private funding had been “secured” for More for Memphis. However, under questioning by Commissioner Thornton, Burke admitted that no funds had been banked, and More for Memphis is not even an incorporated entity.
Thornton pressed for clarity:
- “Is the $100 million banked?”
- “If so, where is it being held, and in whose name?”
Burke’s response was damning:
“More for Memphis is not an incorporated organization… Funds have been ‘committed’ but not banked.”
This admission directly contradicts the language in the ordinance, which stated the funds were “secured.” Burke’s comments reveal a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, violating Tennessee fraud statutes and raising the specter of criminal charges for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Government Gangsters: A Web of Contradictions: More For Memphis and the Fraudulent Funding Claims
This entire scenario is an example of what incoming FBI Director Kash Patel describes in his compelling book Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy, as a stark illustration of entrenched government corruption and collusion undermining public trust and democratic principles.
The contradictions in statements by Seeding Success CEO Mark Sturgis and More For Memphis representative Jamilica Burke, coupled with the persistent promotion of a fraudulent ordinance by County Commissioners and City Council members, reveal a calculated effort to mislead the public. During the November 13, 2024, Shelby County Commission meeting, Sturgis initially claimed, “Yeah, so just to set up, this is a county-wide strategy with private philanthropy, which we’ve been able to raise about $103 million to date.” However, earlier in the same meeting, he contradicted himself by stating, “Our team has currently in the current FY 25 budgets identified to Commissioner Whaley’s point about $166 million of investments that are currently aligned to the plan, but not working in coordination.” These statements expose a glaring inconsistency—one that raises serious questions about whether any of the claimed funds have truly been secured or are simply concocted projections.
The falsehoods didn’t stop there. At the December 9, 2024, meeting, Jamilica Burke further undermined the ordinance’s legitimacy when pressed by Commissioner Brooks and Commissioner Thornton. She admitted that “More For Memphis is not an incorporated organization” and clarified that the $100 million figure represents “committed” funding—not actualized or secured funds. This admission directly contradicts the claims in the More For Memphis ordinance, presumably drafted by and conspired with Shelby County Government attorneys and City of Memphis attorneys which explicitly stated that $100 million had been “secured”. Burke’s statements confirmed what many community members’ public comments had alleged from the start: the funds never existed, making the ordinance not just misleading but fraudulent.
What makes this more egregious is the active participation of County Commissioners and City Council members who sponsored and promoted this ordinance. Despite repeated challenges from community members, who consistently raised concerns about the lack of evidence for the “secured” funds, these elected officials continued to push the narrative, knowingly perpetuating a falsehood. Their persistence in presenting and defending an ordinance based on fraudulent claims demonstrates a coordinated effort to deceive the public. This level of complicity amounts to a conspiracy to mislead taxpayers, eroding trust in local government and raising potential legal and ethical violations.
The timeline of events paints a damning picture of intent. Sturgis’s conflicting statements, Burke’s admission, and the lack of any verified financial documents or audited statements prove that the claimed $100 million in secured funds is a fabrication. Yet, most Shelby County Commissioners and nearly every Memphis City Council member persisted, even after these contradictions were exposed, doubling down on their promotion of an initiative built on false premises.
This is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public through fraudulent misrepresentation. By presenting and continuing to promote this ordinance, despite clear evidence of its fraudulent nature, local government officials and More For Memphis leadership have shown a blatant disregard for the US Constitution, accountability, and transparency. This behavior undermines the very principles of democracy and good governance, calling for immediate investigations and legal consequences for those involved.
Fraudulent Misrepresentation and Possible Criminal Violations
The false claims about “secured” funding and the lack of audited financial statements verifying the existence of $100 million raise serious legal concerns. Fraudulent misrepresentation under Tennessee law occurs when an individual or entity knowingly makes false statements with the intent to deceive, leading to harm or reliance on those statements. The language of the More for Memphis ordinance fits this definition perfectly.
Further, the intentional use of public forums to misrepresent funding sources could violate federal fraud statutes, particularly given the ordinance’s emphasis on public-private partnerships involving taxpayer dollars.
Commissioner Thornton Calls Out More for Memphis’ Deceptive Practices
Commissioner Thornton, one of the meeting’s most vocal critics, exposed the gaping holes in More for Memphis’ claims. Thornton called the organization’s quarterly reporting promises “meaningless,” noting:
“It’s not hard to lie on a report. We literally get lied to every single second it feels like we’re sitting here.”
Thornton highlighted the lack of transparency, demanding specific answers about where the $100 million supposedly committed funds were located. Burke’s inability to provide a straight answer only confirmed suspicions of fraud.
Commissioner Sugarmon’s Diversion Tactics, Comments Undermine the Discussion
While Thornton and Brooks delivered a masterclass in accountability, Commissioner Sugarmon embarrassed herself again with irrelevant comments about mold in schools and property taxes in her questionable and unwavering support of More for Memphis scam. Her attempt to link the More for Memphis scandal to unrelated education issues reeked of an attempt to distract from the heart of the matter: the ordinance’s fraudulent claims. Brooks quickly shut her down, refocusing the discussion on the ordinance’s deceptions.
Commissioner Brooks Refuses to Abdicate Authority to a Private Entity
Commissioner Henri Brooks delivered a scathing critique, accusing More for Memphis of attempting to hijack public governance under the guise of a “public-private partnership.” Brooks declared:
“I am being asked to abdicate my responsibilities as a county commissioner to a private entity… I refuse to abdicate my responsibilities to the taxpayers, to my oath, and to the constitution.”
She also took aim at More for Memphis’ claim of ownership over public data, calling it “plagiarizing.” Brooks refused to support any initiative that withheld public data or operated in the shadows, a direct condemnation of More for Memphis’ lack of transparency.
Brooks also shut down Commissioner Sugarmon’s bizarre diversion about mold in schools, stating:
“This is not about mold in schools. This is about something else entirely.”
Her refusal to allow the discussion to be derailed underscored the seriousness of the allegations against the More for Memphis scam and its elected endorsers.
The official December 9 Shelby County Government video clip of the More for Memphis discussion is found here :
https://shelby.granicus.com/player/clip/2641?view_id=4&redirect=true
Start time: 5:05:46
End time: 5:55:26
Total time: 50:10:38
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